Water Births and Billion-Krona Decisions

The maternity ward in Umeå now offers water births, and the Skellefteå municipal council has approved two investment decisions worth billions. At the same time, Holmen wants to close down the sawmill operations in Kroksjön in Skellefteå municipality, where around 50 employees risk being laid off.

Umeå now offers water births

At the maternity ward in Umeå, women can now choose to give birth in water. Norrlands universitetssjukhus is the last to offer this option in Region Västerbotten (the region is responsible for healthcare), and one of the last maternity wards in the country to do so. On 19 October, it was Umeå’s turn, and the first woman gave birth in the inflatable pool. She has previously given birth on land and says that this was much better.

Skellefteå started offering water births earlier this year, and Lycksele BB received a birthing tub at the beginning of 2024 as part of the so-called Lycksele model. Initially, there is only one inflatable pool in Umeå, but if interest is high, they can get another one. Water birth is an option for healthy women with expected uncomplicated deliveries. Malin Eriksson, deputy head of the Centre for Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Region Västerbotten, says that the staff first needed training and that Umeå has a larger staff group than Skellefteå. SVT Nyheter Västerbotten

Riksbanken raises the policy rate to 2.0 per cent

Riksbanken (Sweden’s central bank) is raising the policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.0 per cent. It is the first increase since 2023, and borrowing will become more expensive. “We expect the rate to rise somewhat further,” says Governor Erik Thedéen to TT.

Riksbanken justifies its decision with a stronger economy combined with cost increases due to supply disruptions, meaning inflation is expected to rise in the future. Susanne Spector, chief economist at Danske Bank, says Riksbanken is catching up with other central banks that raised rates earlier. Norran

Skellefteå made two billion-SEK decisions

At Tuesday’s municipal council meeting (the municipality’s highest decision-making body) in Skellefteå, two major billion-SEK decisions were made, both connected to the municipally owned Skellefteå Kraft. The first was a unanimous yes: Skellefteå Kraft may build a new trunk-grid station in Lidmyran. “It is a wise and secure investment without any major risk,” says group leader Per Boström (KD).

The second decision concerns Skellefteå Kraft undertaking the design work for an aviation fuel factory, as well as the municipality preparing the land at Näsudden, where the factory may be built. The Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats were critical, but the council decided to proceed with this investment as well. “We need to do this regardless of whether it becomes an aviation fuel factory or something else in the future. It is a strategic location for an industrial area,” says councillor Lorents Burman (S). SVT Nyheter Västerbotten

Holmen wants to close down the sawmill in Kroksjön

The forestry industry company Holmen wants to close down sawmill operations entirely in Kroksjön in Skellefteå Municipality, where around 50 employees risk being laid off. “At present, it is not profitable to produce lumber on the current scale at our sawmills,” says business area manager Karolina Svensson. Kim Bergqvist, vice chair of the GS union and currently employed at the sawmill himself for 14 years, says: “The mood among colleagues is gloomy. We had no idea this would happen.”

Negotiations between Holmen and the union will begin on Thursday. Further processing of lumber will nevertheless remain in Kroksjön, using raw materials from Bygdsiljums sawmill. SVT Nyheter Västerbotten

Skellefteå coach makes Tre Kronor debut

Daniel Hermansson, who became SM gold coach with Skellefteå AIK and was named Sweden’s coach of the year in ice hockey, makes his debut this week as coach of Tre Kronor, Sweden’s men’s national ice hockey team. It will happen when the puck is dropped in Prague at half past six Swedish time.

The national team has been surrounded by headlines this week about Russia’s participation in the World Championship. “It’s crystal clear that Russia should not play in the World Championship,” he tells Norran. Norran

Trial over outdoor toilet at Stenträsket

The trial began on Wednesday at Lycksele District Court (a general court that, among other things, hears criminal cases) concerning an outdoor toilet erected at Stenträsket. The site is covered by both a shoreline protection area and a nature reserve, and the prosecutor argues that the toilet is an unauthorized structure. The toilet was removed after the season and is no longer there.

The defense counsel argues that it was not a permanent structure, but rather a temporary toilet for visitors to the site. Prosecutor Frida Molander explains that she has an obligation to prosecute and is required to bring charges when she can prove that a crime has been committed. SVT Nyheter Västerbotten

In brief

• Dads in Skellefteå took 39 percent of the parental leave days over the past 12 months, while dads in Malå took the least parental leave in the country, at 25 percent, according to figures from Försäkringskassan (the authority that pays out, among other things, parental leave benefits and sick-pay benefits) compiled by the news agency Newsworthy. Norran
• Skellefteå’s new municipal council held its first meeting, and the council chair was re-elected and got to shoulder the symbolic chain of office that only the chair is allowed to wear. Norran
• Ng Service i Skellefteå AB was established on 3 November 2026 and is based in Skelleftehamn in Skellefteå municipality. Norran
• The property at Bergnäs 11 in Boliden has a new owner, and the transfer was completed in October 2026. The plot is 997 square metres in size. Norran
• Goalie helmets are being painted in a garage in Ostvik, and after 80 helmets, a request came in to design a helmet for an NHL goalie. Norran
• Byske FF is restarting its men’s team, with the kick-off on Wednesday evening. Norran
• A snowmobile rider from Fällfors performed seven consecutive backflips on a specially built track in Tänndalen in March this year, making him, according to Norran, the first snowmobile rider in the world to do so. SVT Nyheter Västerbotten
• Bus drivers practise driving on slippery roads. Norran